


Never Meet Your Heroes

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crushes, Extra Treat, Flirting, Han Solo Lives, Hero Worship, Multi, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-04 08:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12766980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: Poe spent his childhood half in love with Leia Organa and Han Solo, heroes of the galaxy, a real life fairy tale. Then he grew up....Who was he kidding, he was still half in love with them.





	Never Meet Your Heroes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ljparis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ljparis/gifts).



Poe wasn’t sure exactly what he had expected when Han Solo came to the Resistance, but it probably wasn’t getting called ‘kid’ and having his hair ruffled before being utterly ignored.

Poe had had better days, honestly.

-

Growing up, Poe’s parents hadn’t talked about the war much, but Poe’s father told a mean bedtime story. By the time he was five, Poe was convinced that aside from his parents, there wasn’t anyone more amazing in the entire galaxy than Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. When he was seven he got to meet them, and that summer still shone in his memory more than two decades later. (He met them again when he was eight, but Poe tried not to think about that spring.)

Poe was weirdly fascinated by Leia and Han, the princess and the scoundrel, sort of like a real life fairy tale. They were beautiful, and they were in love, and it was different from how Poe’s parents were in love. It seemed like they argued all the time but they were never genuinely angry, or at least, not angry in a bad way. When he was seven he asked his mother if he could marry Leia, too, and she had laughed so hard that Poe’s dad needed to come explain why that was extremely unlikely.

He saw Leia and Han sporadically in the years following, a couple of times at the ranch when they visited his father, a few times while he studied at the Academy, once when Poe’s dad took him to see Han’s pilots in one of their races. When Poe was about twelve Han took him flying, and that was the singular moment that made Poe realize he didn’t only like girls. He went out of his way to watch Leia in the Senate when they broadcasted sessions on the holonews.

He looked up to them, but he figured that was normal. Most of the galaxy looked up to them for what they’d done in the Rebellion. He was half in love with them but he figured that was normal, too. Look at them. Poe wanted to be like them; he idolized them like he idolized his parents. He wanted to do good in the galaxy like they had, and there was a part of him that could admit he was hoping one day he could impress Han with his flying.

But then things went a bit wrong. First there was the revelation of Leia’s parentage, as if it mattered, but then… The massacre at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi school, and terrible, terrible rumors about Han and Leia’s son Ben, who was suddenly missing. People said he was dead. Others said something worse had happened.

Poe’s father refused to speculate, and Han and Leia dropped out of Poe’s life.

-

In the Resistance, the other pilots teased Poe for being the general’s favorite. He laughed it off while inwardly preening. It turned out that crushes didn’t always go away when you didn’t see the object of your affection for years, and Leia Organa still made Poe’s heart thump in his chest like nothing else.

He had been flattered when she’d come to his aid on Mirrin Prime, and joining her Resistance had been among the easiest decisions of his life. If he tried to make himself indispensible to her, well, he couldn’t be sorry that it had worked.

She seemed sadder now than he remembered, wearier, and there was a part of Poe that resented Han for staying away. There was a part of him that felt young and disillusioned, faced with the evidence that even his heroes couldn’t always make things work.

But Leia was still fighting for the galaxy, and Poe still half-loved her for it.

Then came Lor San Tekka, and Jakku, and Kylo Ren. Poe was bitterly regretful of his failure, that he couldn’t do this one thing, this one thing that Leia needed the most, and he hated the way she looked at him afterwards, like she was the one who should be apologizing.

(She didn’t actually apologize. Poe was grateful.)

But after that came Takodana, and Han Solo. Poe met him in the command center, as they waited for Snap’s recon data, and tried not to make it obvious that he was wiping his sweaty palms on his pants as he came over to say hello.

Then came the hair ruffling, and the ‘kid’, and Han walking out.

Poe wasn’t miffed. He was an adult. He didn’t care.

“I guess it figures,” Poe complained to Finn as he recruited him to help with some maintenance on _Black One._ “That he doesn’t even remember me.”

Finn seemed less interested than Poe felt he should be. “Should he? Remember you, I mean?”

Poe gaped at him and then closed his mouth, scrubbing furiously at a scorch mark in the paint.

“It’s just, you said you mostly knew him when you were a kid. You’re not exactly a kid anymore.”

“I was older, too,” Poe muttered stubbornly. _He took me_ flying.

“He’s probably just distracted. He’s grumpy. How long’s it been since he’s seen his wife?”

 _He called me_ kid, Poe thought, and then Snap returned and Poe’s time got taken up by intelligence and briefings and planning, then Starkiller.

Finn got hurt. Chewbacca carried him out of the _Falcon_ and Han actually looked scared. It was a weird moment, another reminder that Poe’s heroes were human, too, and a little part of Poe’s mind was wondering if Han would look like that if Poe got hurt.

Probably not.

Poe followed the medical team to the infirmary and whispered soothing, encouraging words to Finn, even though he knew Finn couldn’t hear him.

-

Rey, the mysterious girl from Jakku, Finn’s friend, left to collect Luke Skywalker, to complete Poe’s bungled mission. Poe overheard bits of an argument between Han and Leia, Han insisting that he should go, too, Leia accusing him of wanting to run off again, and Poe shame-facedly slunk away to give them their privacy.

They moved from D’Qar as soon as they could organize it. The First Order might have been recovering from their loss but it would have been suicide to linger. Finn woke up. Leia sent Poe out on patrols and fact-finding missions and recruiting, and it all felt a bit like business as usual.

“X-wings were always more Luke’s thing than mine,” said a gruff voice Poe would always recognize, “but she’s a fine ship.”

Poe paused in his work and glanced back to Han. “I think so.”

Han’s hands were stuffed into his pockets. “You know, Leia, she… speaks pretty highly of you.”

Poe ignored the flush of pleasure Han’s words elicited. “Just trying to do my part.”

“The way she tells it, you’ve done a lot more than that. She relies on you. Kes must be proud.”

“Actually I think he’d rather I were nowhere near this,” Poe admitted. “But yeah, he’s proud.”

“No parent wants their kid in danger,” Han said, and Poe had to look away for a moment.

The rumors weren’t so much rumors anymore, at least not for Poe.

“Wasn’t sure you even remembered who I was,” Poe found himself saying, his skin heating up. Kriff, why?

“Kid,” Han said, a smile in his tone, though Poe couldn’t make himself look. “No one forgets you.”

“I’m thirty-two.”

“Yeah,” Han said, and now Poe looked to see his crooked smile. “A kid.”

Poe smiled back.

-

Han let Poe work on the _Falcon_ sometimes. It was an unexpected honor that made Poe feel silly for ever having considered that Han had forgotten about him. Han trusted virtually no one with the _Falcon_ who wasn’t himself or Chewbacca, so the significance wasn’t lost on Poe.

Of course, Han did spend most of the time grumbling and insulting both Poe’s intelligence and technique, but that was just Han, really. Poe was currently wedged into a crevice and fiddling with wiring; Han had made no secret of the fact that he was taking advantage of Poe’s youth and flexibility.

It was uncomfortable. Poe had no desire to complain.

The wires sparked alarmingly and Poe cursed.

“Don’t make me have to show you how it’s done, kid,” Han remarked, moving closer.

“I’ve got it,” Poe insisted, ignoring the smell of burning metal. That smell tended to linger in the _Falcon_ most of the time anyway.

Han looked over Poe’s shoulder and Poe yelped when he felt Han’s hand settle on his ass.

“Easy,” Han said, and his hand stayed where it was.

The back of Poe’s neck was burning. Was he just being friendly or –

“Chewie said I’d find you boys in here.”

Poe felt the urge to disappear into the crevice.

Han shifted only slightly, that smile in his voice when he greeted his wife. “You were right, Leia. He is incredibly helpful.”

“Very eager to please,” Leia agreed.

Poe wanted to die. This had to be some form of torture, he was certain. “I think I’ve got it now,” he said, and Han’s hand finally moved, clapping him on the back of the shoulder.

“Good work, kid. Let me check up in the cockpit, make sure it runs right.”

As Han went striding quickly down the corridor, Poe reluctantly turned to face Leia, still feeling like his face was a shade more closely resembling crimson than his normal skin tone. “Afternoon, General. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Her smile was sly and amused. “That’s all right, Poe. I’m happy to loan you to Han, as long as he doesn’t keep you.”

If it was possible, Poe flushed deeper.

“We’re actually very good at sharing.”

Poe gaped at her.

A triumphant shout echoed from the cockpit, and then Han yelling, “You did it, kid! I could kiss you!”

“The way to my husband’s heart,” Leia teased. “Through his ship.”

As he watched her, it occurred to Poe that Leia was, in fact, doing this entirely on purpose, and it was likely that Han was, too.

He only wondered what they meant by it.

-

“Sounds like they’re into you,” Finn said while they cleaned weapons, and Poe spluttered.

“That’s… that’s not… Blast.” Honestly, if it had been anyone besides Han and Leia, Poe would have thought exactly that. He wasn’t dumb or inexperienced; he recognized flirting when he saw it.

But it was _Han and Leia._

He wondered what they would do if he flirted back.

-

Poe brought food and his own datawork into Leia’s office in the evenings, sitting with her while she worked.  She gave him that rueful, grateful smile, and Poe always got her to laugh. Sometimes he sat close to her, and sometimes he perched on the corner of her desk.

She never asked him to leave.

Han was even easier. Poe worked long hours with him on the _Falcon,_ in pants that were too worn and too tight, with his sleeves rolled up to show his forearms or in tank tops with his arms bare. He always stood too close and he always leaned in whenever possible. He exaggerated his awe, which wasn’t too difficult; Han really was an excellent pilot and mechanic who knew his stuff. It wasn’t like Poe ever had to fake enthusiasm around a ship.

In the mess hall he wedged himself between them so their thighs pressed together, or he sat across the table and deliberately licked his lips when he ate, sucked his fingers into his mouth, grinned when they watched. He watched Han’s eyes track him when he raked his hand through his hair and he watched even Leia be unable to keep a straight face when he fixed her with his biggest, most vibrant smile, designed to be devastatingly charming.

Hell, it had half-worked on kriffing Agent Terex. Poe knew how to utilize his own assets.

It was a game, basically. Poe liked testing them, seeing how far he could push, if he could make their eyes widen or their breathing quicken, if he could get Leia to smile when he said something teasing and bordering on inappropriate.

He knew that was all it was going to be, a bit of a game. They had pushed first, so he pushed back.

He didn’t expect - Well. He didn’t expect.

-

Han brought the booze, but it was Leia who opened it.

Poe was on a ladder beside _Black One,_ so as to more easily reach the panel he needed. Someone whistled; Poe knocked his head on his ship and swore.

Someone was laughing: Leia.

Poe swiped his hand through his hair, leaving a greasy smear. “Um. Hi, General. Captain. You want me?”

“Who doesn’t?” Han asked, a bottle of spice wine in his hand, and Poe flushed.

Leai rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottle. “A gift. For your service, which has lately been even more above and beyond than usual. You do realize that you don’t actually have to spend all your free time helping my husband repair his junky ship.”

“Junky,” Han scoffed.

“I like doing it,” Poe said, and that wasn’t even a lie.

“Well, perhaps tonight you might like to join us in a more generally accepted avenue of entertainment.” Leia was standing beside the ladder, holding the wine in offering. She took a sip first, straight from the bottle.

“Uh,” Poe said. “Here, or…”

She was laughing at him, even if it was only in her eyes. “Our quarters. No need to start rumors.”

“Right,” Poe said, wondering how going into their quarters at night with a bottle of wine was meant to stop rumors. He started to climb down.

“Wait,” Han said, and Poe paused. “Just stay there a minute and let me admire the view.”

Poe realized Han meant his ass and felt his cheeks flush again. Kriffing hell. “You’ll get a closer look in your quarters.”

“Oh, we mean to,” Leia said, and Poe gaped at her.

No way. No kriffing way they meant -

“See, Leia, told you he’d go for it. We didn’t even need the wine.”

“Yes, we did. It was an overture; I didn’t expect we’d actually have to get the boy drunk. That’s tasteless.”

“Oh, it’s tasteless,” Han repeated, and Poe raised his hand.

“Wait, wait,” he said. “Okay, I know we’ve been doing this thing but… when you say we should go to your quarters, you mean…”

“We mean we’d like you in our bed, and we think you’d like it, too,” Leia explained, blunt and honest as ever.

Poe swallowed. “Kriff.”

Han moved forward to meet Leia. “So, we gonna get that closer look or not, kid?”

Poe stared between them, taking a long moment to consider how this was his life, getting propositioned by his childhood heroes, his childhood crushes, the two people he looked up to and respected almost as much as his parents.

And then he thought, why the hell was he hesitating?

“You can have as close a look as you like,” Poe said, hopping down from the ladder.

He was rewarded by Han’s deep laugh and Leia’s amused smile.

-

Much later, Poe had cause to consider that none of this was what he had expected when he joined the Resistance, but he’d be fucked before he complained.


End file.
